A Woeful Winter
by FlutterbySweetiePie
Summary: A tradgedy strikes and cuts the rangers to the core. Can they help Emily through pain once more?
1. Prologue

Her face contorted with misery, as she dropped to her knees. Her agonized sobs cutting us to the core. Still, all we could do was watch. We watched as she curled into herself like a turtle hiding from the world. We watched as she retreated into herself, building up impenetrable walls. After what seemed like a lifetime, she stood up. Her face a blank slate. A glance was shared between us and we knew nothing would ever be the same.


	2. The start of it all

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Blow after blow was delivered to the training dummy. In sync, the team trained. It was mid-morning and they had already been at it for four hours. The training is intense, if not a bit excessive, but it'll pay off in the long run.

The dojo door opens suddenly, startling the six rangers. Heads whipping around to face the door, come face to face with Mentor Ji. One glance tells them something is off. His usually stoic face is seen with red rimmed eyes. Clearing his throat, he gives a pained whisper

"Emily..."

With this, Emily's mind races. A feeling of dread washes over her and a rock forms in the pit of her stomach. The others have a similar feeling. All of the rangers know that Mentor's next few words are going to affect them but they aren't aware of just how much this will change their lives.

Mentor clears his throat and, with eyes welled with tears, stares straight ahead. His lips quiver as he searches for the right words. He knows that what he has to share will crush his youngest ranger, Emily, who is a few months shy of 17. "Emily.."

Emily's heart jumped into her throat as he continued.

"I've received word from your parents. Something happened last night. Serena, she went to sleep and this morning they learned that she slipped away. I am truly sorry."

Emily felt her world shatter. The earth quaked as she fell to her knees. Mia, the pink ranger, felt tears sliding down her own face. It pains her, as well as the others, to see tears fall from Emily's hazel eyes and down her porcelain skin. Mike, the green ranger, felt tears stinging his own eyes. He and Emily have spent multiple night in the common room talking about her life on the farm, while drinking hot tea. He knows just how much Serena actually means to her. To Emily, her sister hung the moon. Emily looks up to her big sister and she was her reason for fighting as hard as she does. Kevin, he is a different story. Originally, he didn't want to form bonds. Strictly business, if you will. He believed the only parts to the samurai life were fighting nighlocks and training. He began to realize, though, that even a samurai needs friends and family. Even a samurai needs to have fun or have someone to remind them why they are fighting. He began to grow close to his teammates. His teammates became family. Siblings, with the exception of Mia, are what he gained when he left home to head to the Shiba House. Mia, the exception, is something special. Kevin began dating Mia a few weeks prior to the tragedy that struck the young yellow ranger. Kevin is the blue ranger, always serious but is learning to loosen up. The moment the news came out of mentors mouth, he froze. His mind began to run in circles. Jayden, the ranger in red, seemed to understand and share her pain. When he was young, his father was the red ranger. His father, along with the parents of his team, had rushed off to face and attempt to seal Master Xandred. The managed to seal Xandred temporarily, but the cost was great. His father died in battle, facing the Master of the netherworld. Now, they are fighting the inevitable rise of the zanzu river and the rise of Master Xandred. Jayden understands her pain and wishes that he could take her pain away. His team, along with Mentor Ji, are the only family he has and the only family he will have. It hurt to see them in pain, even emotional pain.

Her face contorted with misery, as she dropped to her knees. Her agonized sobs cutting us to the core. Still, all we could do was watch. We watched as she curled into herself like a turtle hiding from the world. We watched as she retreated into herself, building up impenetrable walls.

It was Antonio who finally sprung into action. Antonio, the ranger in gold, went forward to comfort his friend. Though he hasn't been with the team long, he feels a close bond with all of them. The samurai team is a family, a close one at that. "silencio, dulce emily, it will all be okay. We are all here and we aren't going anywhere."

Her only response was hugging him tight. He stayed there, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words of comfort. An immeasurable amount of time passed before her heart breaking sobs turned to soft whimpers. After what seemed like a lifetime, she stood up. Her face a blank slate. Even her expressive eyes were devoid of emotion. She walked away, through the dojo doors, with her head down. We followed close behind. No one should have to be alone with their thoughts after that.

She was curled up on the common room couch. We all sat around her until early the next morning. We are going to need a plan to get through this. A plan that will get them through this together.


	3. A different way of looking at it

Mentor Ji was having a hard time. He had just delivered news that surely placed his youngest ranger in an emotional wave that he hopes won't drown her.

Mentor Ji is a kind man. He is living a lonely life, forbidden from talking to his family or even starting a family of his own until all of the nighlock are gone and the world is safe. The only family he has are the ranger teams that come and go. His first taste of having a family of his own was Jayden.

After Jayden's father died in battle, he adopted Jayden. At five years old, Jayden was the child mentor had longed to have. Mentor always wanted to get married and have a big family. He held onto hope that one day he would be able to get married and have kids. His hope is dying though. He is in his fifties.

Mentor Ji was the mentor of this set of rangers parents, as well. He helped train them. He nursed their wounds after a battle. He will always have a place in his heart for his rangers. This team is different though. They are all still children, to him. The oldest of this team, at 21, is Kevin.

This team is much younger than the others he acted as mentor for. They have become like the children he fears that he will never have. As a mentor, his only focus is aloud to be his duty to aid in the worlds safety. He had held on to hope that Jayden's father had sealed Master Xandred away, but alas his hope died when a mooger attacked the city.

He and Jayden held down the fort, until the first Nighlock arrived. After that, Mentor was sure that the team needed to be called. A mooger here and there left him uneasy but not certain of Xandred's survival. The Nighlock's arrival confirmed his fears. Master Xandred was sealed but not permanently. He would rise again. Stronger and vengeful, he would rise again.

Xandred is the only one who can control the nighlock. He is their master or their king, if you will. He rose to the top with the goal of making everything and everyone miserable. The more miserable everyone is, according to him, the better. He sends nighlock out to cause misery. The misery and the tears the nighlock cause help the Zanzu river rise. Their goal is to get the water level high enough that it floods the Earth. If the river floods the Earth, he will have a chance to tale over the world. The flooding it would create on the Earth would create pools that the nighlock could soak in. If the nighlock have these pools, they will never have to go back to the netherworld.

In light of that information, he sent word out that the rangers were needed. The Samurai powers are passed down from parent to child. Each generation of Samurai is trained by the last. With the exception of Emily, only the oldest child received the Ranger abilities.

Emily's case is a special and heartbreaking one. She has an older sister, Serena. Serena is eight years older than Emily. Serena was originally supposed to be the yellow ranger but she fell ill. She hid her illness, pretending to be okay, but ultimately she wasn't. She knew she was sick but she didn't want to worry her family and was trying to delay the inevitable future with Emily becoming the yellow ranger. She hid her illness behind a smile and cosmetic products until she passed out. She was transported to the hospital but by this time it was too late. They gave her medication, did numerous tests, but no one knew what was wrong. When Emily was twelve, they learned that Serena's medication would prolong her life but she ultimately wasn't going to make it. That night, Serena broke down as she handed Emily her ape folding zord. She hated that she was putting her sister in harms way because she fell ill.

By that time, Emily's mother had to try to teach Emily a life time of training in what they didn't know would be four years. Unlike the others who have been training to be rangers their whole lives, Emily had only been trained for four years. She is behind the rest. She is younger, smaller and less experienced but has a place in everyone's heart.

He tries to teach them everything he knows to help keep them safe in battle. He teaches them about the elements that their ranger powers are.

Jayden, the red ranger, is fire. he has power over and resistance to fire. Mia, the pink ranger, controls and harnesses the wind. Mike, the ranger in green, is forest. He has control over plants and can navigate the forest with ease. Kevin, the one in blue, controls and harnesses water. Antonio doesn't have an element, he is a self made ranger. Though he doesn't have an element, he is great with technology. Emily, the young yellow, is Earth. She is one with earth and can form rocks, dirt and other natural resources.

He has formed a bond with all of his rangers and it pains him to see any of them hurt, sad or scared. Tears sting his eyes as he remembers the look on her face as she fell to her knees. Her pained, agonized face is forever etched in his mind. Her sobs tear him apart.

He left the dojo as quickly as he entered it. He won't be of much help to her while struggling with his own emotions. He doesn't understand how such a sweet person could deserve such pain.

Emily is the one who makes people happy just by being there. Her childlike curiosity reminds them just how young she is. The smallest things that he takes for granted, fascinate her. It puts things in perspective for him. It humbles him. He no longer takes the small things for granted.

The happiness and cheer she brings, lights up the Shiba house. Though she tends to fall, Emily dances around the house with her blonde curls shimmering in the light. She is a small girl, at 5"2, but she has a big heart. She has a love for everyone and everything.

He, along with everyone else, is willing to do everything in his power to bring back her smile.


	4. Shared Pain

Jayden Shiba knows all too well how Emily is feeling. Having experienced this himself, he understands just how traumatic this is. He understands far more than any of the others.

He also understands that she wants to be alone but is afraid to be. She wants to feel safe but her safety net is gone. She is falling backwards into a downward spiral that doesn't seem to have an end. The one she looked to for any form of comfort, is gone. He understands the anger she feels about the most important thing in her life being taken. He understands the tears running down her face.

It's cruel, really. Life. Fate. As cruel as it is, it's also a beautiful existence. It took him years to see it, though. For years, he didn't understand the point of it all. Nothing had meaning to him. Everything reminded him of his father and that hurt him deeply. Seeing his friend in such misery opens his scars of the past.

Though, only five at the time he last saw his father, he remembers that his father meant the world to him. He had always wanted to grow up brave and strong- like his dad. To him, his dad will always be the bravest person he knows. His father went into battle knowing there was a very large chance that he would would not return alive. His father willingly gave his life to give him and the rest of the world a shot at a safe and happy life.

Over the years, Jayden forgot the little things. First, the sound of his fathers voice. Then, the fact that he would always make time for him. After that, it was trivial things. His favorite song, favorite food and that he hated puzzles because he never had the patience to take the time to finish one. He began to forget more and more over the years until he began to forget bigger things. When he began to forget what his father looked like, he cried. After that, he spent several days in his bedroom memorizing a picture of he and his father together. He had locked the door from the inside. No one could come in, unless he let them in. All he did for three days was stare at that photograph.

The photograph showed something he hadn't seen in a while- happiness. In the photograph, a young Jayden and his father were hugging and smiling after a day at the beach.

Jayden's father was a tall man, 6"4 with a head of brown hair. He had broad shoulders and long arms. The laugh lines on his face show that he was a man of high spirits. He didn't let the truth of his world take away his happiness. A truly admirable trait.

To this day, Jayden has that picture in his room. It's become a comfort to him. Though having Mentor Ji helped fill the void, he misses his father. No matter how close he and Mentor Ji get, there will always be a part of him longing to see his father.

That's not to say Mentor Ji hasn't been a wonderful "dad" to him, though. Mentor Ji has been there for him all of his 20 years of life. Jayden was born in the Shiba house. His mother left, leaving him in the care of his father and Mentor Ji. For the first three years of life it was just he, his dad, and Mentor Ji.

However, in his third year of life the Nighlock rose again. Shortly after, the team of that generation was called. He doesn't remember much of that time but he knows that they all had a big part of raising him.

The mother figures in his life weren't his own. They were the mothers of Mia and Emily. The other father figures in his life were the fathers of Kevin and Mike. Still, spending time with them would never compare to the times he spent with his father.

Though towards the end of his father's ranger duties, his time was scarce. Even still, he always found time to spend with Jayden. Those memories are the ones he hopes to hold onto forever.

After his father died, he was in a deep pit of sadness. He was drowning in a lake of his own tears, fears, and insecurities. Mentor Ji finally broke through and threw him a life preserver. That night, he held Jayden as he cried. He held Jayden and soothed his fears.

Things began to look up at that point. No longer showing up late to training with red-rimmed eyes or lying awake at night. The broken feeling inside him was mended. Not completely fixed but mended.

He began to cherish the sunrise. He began to find beauty in the world around him. He became greatful that becoming a ranger would help him feel closer to his father.

Though Mentor Ji was a part of pulling him out of his sadness, Antonio played a big part as well.

He met Antonio when they were seven. When Antonio was there, he remembered how to laugh. He remembered how to smile. Antonio was his only friend, but he was his best friend. Antonio and Jayden would get into trouble together. Playing instead of training. Laughing instead of reading.

When they were ten, Antonio had to move away. Jayden gave Antonio the Octozord before he left. Antonio, on the brink of tears, promised that they would see eachother again and that he would fight alongside Jayden when the time came.

Seeing the girl who had come to be like his little sister fall into the blackhole hurt him deeply. A blackhole is the the only way to describe the overwhelming feeling of sadness and pain. The blackhole is consuming. It sucks you in and spits you back out as a shadow of the person you were. Everything begins to lose meaning until there is nothing.

Jayden decided then that he would not let her fall into the hole. He would not let this torture her innocent mind. He would not let her go down the deep, dark path that he once went down.

He would help her remember the good times. He would make sure she wrote down the little things while she could remember them. He can't change that her sister is no longer on the Earth but he can help her realize that her sister is still there.

Though not in the physical sense, he had come to realize that your loved ones are always there. They are in your heart or there in little ways. There will always be reminders of the ones you love but Jayden likes to think of them as ways they are showing you they are there.

In his training routine alone, he is reminded of his father. He wants Emily to see that she and her sister will always be together, even through element alone.

Serena and Emily both possess the Earth element. Even though Serena is gone, Emily will always be able to feel a connection to her sister.

After he left the dojo, he sat on the floor around Emily. He wants to provide as much comfort as he can at this point. He looks up to her porcelain face, that is now stained with tears. Even in her sleep, her mind is taunting her.

Jayden sighs and takes her hand.

"It will all be okay. It hurts. I know it does. I can promise that it will be okay. You will be okay..."

In that moment, Jayden didn't know if he was reasuring Emily or himself.


	5. Through the wind

Mia Watanabe was at a loss for words. She could only imagine how the once bubbly blonde was feeling.

When Mia was four, her mother was called to the Samurai team to fulfill her duty. During that time, she lived with her Sobo. Her Sobo, otherwise known as her grandmother, treated her with love and care.

In that time, Mia and her Sobo grew close. They cooked together. They trained together. They laughed together. They played together. They would have a blast, together.

After a year, her mothers ranger duties were finished. Master Xandred was sealed away- temporarily- but he would not be wreaking havoc any time soon. Mia cried as she left her Sobo. Her mother had come to get her and bring her home.

When Mia left her Sobo, it broke her heart. She was heartbroken but she could spend time with Sobo when she wanted too. She could not imagine how much it would hurt if she had lost her Sobo.

Now, how do we bring back the light in her eyes? How do we bring back her beaming smile? Mia is an optimist but she isn't blind. She knows that this is going to be hard for both Emily and the rest of the team.

Emily adored Serena. She spoke about her as if Serena was a superhero. From the stories she has shared, she knows that this is crushing her.

At a loss for words, she went to do what she does best. Care for others.


End file.
